Verbena plant named ‘Wesvereme’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Wesvereme’, characterized by its compact and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; medium-sized leaves; freely flowering habit; and dark red purple-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane in rounded umbels.

Botanical designation: Verbena tenera.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WESVEREME’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Verbena Plant Named ‘Wesverepea’.

Applicant: Heinrich Westhoff.

Filed: Concurrently with this application (U.S. Plant patent applicationNo. 12/587,484).

Title: Verbena Plant Named ‘Wesverevoo’.

Applicant: Heinrich Westhoff.

Filed: Concurrently with this application (U.S. Plant patent applicationNo. 12/587,421).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena tenera, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Wesvereme’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact Verbena plants with numerousattractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in April, 2004 in Südlohn, Germany of a proprietary seedlingselection of Verbena tenera identified as code number 04P104, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedlingselection of Verbena tenera identified as code number 04P212, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledenvironment in Südlohn, Germany in August, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Südlohn, Germany since 2005 has shown that theunique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Wesvereme’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Wesvereme’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofVerbena:

-   -   1. Compact and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Medium-sized leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Dark red purple-colored flowers that are held above and        beyond the foliar plane in rounded umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena have smaller leaves than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have larger flowers than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   3 Plants of the new Verbena and the female parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection        have peach-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of themale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact and mounding than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have denser inflorescences with        more flowers per inflorescence than plants of the male parent        selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have plum-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the Verbenas‘Wesverepea’ and ‘Wesverevoo’ in flower color as plants of ‘Wesverepea’have peach-colored flowers and plants of ‘Wesverevoo’ have red-coloredflowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena‘Wesverscar’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,988. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Verbenadiffered primarily from plants of ‘Wesverscar’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more compact and mounding than        plants of ‘Wesverscar’.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Wesverscar’.    -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had shorter internodes than plants        of ‘Wesverscar’.    -   4. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Wesverscar’ differed in flower        color as plants of ‘Wesverscar’ had dark red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena‘Wesverdark’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,847. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Verbenadiffered primarily from plants of ‘Wesverdark’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more compact and mounding than        plants of ‘Wesverdark’.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had shorter internodes than plants        of ‘Wesverdark’.    -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller leaves than plants of        ‘Wesverdark’.    -   4. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Wesverdark’ differed in flower        color as plants of ‘Wesverdark’ had red-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Verbena plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Verbena plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Wesvereme’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Südlohn, Germany in a glass-coveredgreenhouse during the summer and under conditions which closelyapproximate commercial production. During the production of the plants,day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures rangedfrom 16° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 50,000 lux.Plants were 30 weeks old when the photograph and the description weretaken. In the description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena tenera ‘Wesvereme’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of            Verbena tenera identified as code number 04P104, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of            Verbena tenera identified as code number 04P212, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 14 to 18 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 21 to 26 days at 18°            C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, medium in thickness; color, close            to 158A.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense to dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Initially upright, then compact and mounding            growth habit; freely branching habit with two lateral            branches potentially forming at every node; pinching            enhances lateral branch development; dense and bushy plant            habit; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 23 cm to 28 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 58 cm to 60 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 25 cm to 50 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.9 mm to 2.3 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Texture.—Densely pubescent; viscid.        -   Color.—Close to 144A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 4.3 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate to deltoid.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Dentate to crenate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent,            viscid.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 147A; venation, close to 147B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            close to 147C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in            hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;            numerous umbels covering the entire plant; flowers face            upward or outward; freely flowering habit with about 15 to            33 flowers per inflorescence.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            April until frost in the fall in Germany; plants begin            flowering about 12 to 14 weeks after planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two weeks on the plant;            flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.3 cm. Height: About            3.4 cm.        -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,            five-parted; sessile. Length: About 3.3 cm. Diameter: About            2.3 cm. Tube length: About 2.2 cm. Throat diameter: About            2.4 mm. Tube diameter, base: About 1.9 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Shape: Oblong. Color: Towards the apex, close to 71A;            mid-section and base, close to 145C.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.            Petal lobe length: About 1.15 cm. Petal lobe width: About            1 cm. Petal lobe shape: Broadly ovate to cordate. Petal lobe            apex: Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: Petal,            when opening, upper surface: Close to 60A. Petal, when            opening, lower surface: Close to 60C. Petal, fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 61A to 61B. Petal, fully opened,            lower surface: Close to 72A to 72C; color becoming closer to            N74C with development. Throat: Close to 145D. Tube: Close to            145C.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused            sepals. Sepal length: About 1.3 cm. Sepal width: About            2.9 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal            margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent, viscid; velvety. Sepal color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 146A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.1 cm to 6.2 cm. Diameter: About            1.3 mm. Strength: Strong; wiry. Texture: Pubescent, viscid.            Color: Close to 146A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per            flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther shape: Two-parted;            ovate. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther diameter: About            1.3 mm. Anther color: Close to 154A. Pollen amount: Scarce.            Pollen color: Close to 1A. Pistils: Quantity: One per            flower. Pistil length: About 1.9 cm. Stigma shape: Ovate.            Stigma color, immature: Close to 146C. Stigma color, mature:            Close to 146A. Style length: About 1.3 cm. Style color:            Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 145A. Seeds: Length:            About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm. Color: Close to 197A.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 30° C.-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbenas.

1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Wesvereme’ as illustrated anddescribed.